Autumn 2 Newsletter
Head teacher's Messages
Dear Families,
We’ve had a great start to the new half term! November is all about School Tours for Nursery/ Reception 2026- we have already welcomed over 70 families. Many are visiting thanks to your recommendations—thank you for spreading the word! We have a few tours left and please contact the office if you would like a spot.
Together with our Governors, we’ve finalised our School Development Plan. While Pinner Wood already excels in many areas, we’re always looking to grow and move forward. This year, we’re:
Updating our PSHE curriculum to reflect our school values.
Enhancing the teaching of writing using the new Government Writing Toolkit, addressing the national decline in writing.
Expanding our Oracy work to inspire others—especially exciting as Oracy is now featured in the new curriculum review. We’re ahead of the curve!
Mrs Kearney has created a Child-friendly version of our plan that will be shared and discussed via our School Council reps this week.
Tomorrow, we’ll mark Remembrance Day with our PW service on Tuesday 11th November at 10:50am. Selected Year 6 pupils will read their poems, followed by a two-minute silence. Families who wish to join us can enter the playground at 10:45am.
Thank you to all of you who came to our fabulous Spooky Disco on Friday. It was a lot of fun.
A huge thank you to all the Pinner Wood staff and Friends volunteers for making this event possible. Many of our staff gave up their Friday night to help out- which is very much appreciated. Special thanks to Carl for the fantastic decorations and to Adam (our retired Site Team member) for returning as DJ—we really appreciate your support!
Kind regards,
Miss Marriott
Stepping Up - Staffing News - New Students
At Pinner Wood, we’re proud to support trainee teachers. This term, we welcome:
Florence Burch in Ashdown Class
George Malt in Doriath Class
Prudence Nyachwo in Palm Class
Anisah Mahamoud in Demalere Class
They are completing their PGCEs with the Institute of Education and will be working alongside our class teachers—starting with observation and gradually leading lessons.
It’s always a pleasure to have extra adults in the classroom, and many of our current staff began their journey here as trainees. Please join me in welcoming them and wishing them every success at Pinner Wood!
Value of the Half Term - Heart of the Community
This term, our theme is Heart of the Community. Through assemblies and Monday morning class meetings, we’re exploring how we can make a positive impact locally.
Mr Mainwaring has relaunched Opal Play, reminding children how it enriches our school community. We’ll be sharing more with families soon—especially for those new to Pinner Wood who may not be familiar with how our lunchtimes work.
In PSHE, all classes focus on this theme, and in the first week of December, each class will take part in a community project—details to follow.
Our children know this is their school and that they can make a difference. In this week’s assembly, Mr Mainwaring introduced new job roles for pupils in Years 4, 5, and 6—applications are now open!
The job roles include supporting in the lunch hall at lunch time, salad bar, play maker and library helper.
SAVE THE DATE!
We hope to see you at our Mince Pies and Melodies event on Wednesday 17th December from 3.30 pm in the playground to celebrate the start of the festive season!
School Notices - A few reminders
Pinner Wood Needs You - Let's Keep the Magic Alive!
What makes Pinner Wood truly special? It’s the amazing community spirit — families coming together to celebrate, support one another, and raise vital funds for our school.
This year has been a busy one for everyone, and we understand that. But now, more than ever, we need that wonderful Pinner Wood energy to shine through. Our much-loved Christmas Fair is set for Friday 28th November (3:30–6:30pm) — and we need your help to make it happen!
Just one hour of your time can make a huge difference. While sign-ups have been slow so far (a big thank you to those who’ve already volunteered!), we’re hopeful that more of our fantastic families will step forward.
If we don’t have enough volunteers by Friday 14th November, we may have to cancel — and we’d hate the children to miss out on such a joyful event.
Let’s come together, as we always do, and make this fair one to remember. Sign up today and help keep the Pinner Wood spirit alive!
PLEASE SIGN UP TO SUPPORT USING THIS LINK.
Donation days - Friday 21 & 28 November
This is a heads up that Friday 21 and 28 November will be donation days ahead of the Christmas fair. In exchange for a non-uniform day for the children we will be asking for donations of:
Chocolates or biscuit boxes
Bottles (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)
Cakes or baked goods (home made or shop bought, no nuts- on 28th Nov only)
Please ensure where items are shop bought they are NEW, unopened and within the expiry date. All donations should be taken into the class room and FPW will collect them from there.
🎉 Double the Impact with Match Funding! 🎉
Support Pinner Wood School with Just a Little Help from Your Employer!
💡 Did you know?
Many companies offer Match Funding — they’ll match the money you raise for our school events!
👩💼👨💼 If you work for a bank, supermarket, building society, or even a smaller company…
Your employer might double your fundraising efforts!
✅ How It Works:
Volunteer at a Friends of PW event or stall
Raise money for the school
Your employer matches the amount!
We provide a letter with event details — simple!
📣 Why It Matters:
Your support could help us fund Chrome Books and other vital resources for our children.
Even if you can’t volunteer, just letting us know your company offers match funding is a huge help!
📧 Get in Touch:
Email: friendspinnerwood@gmail.com
Let’s chat about how your company can support our school!
RWI Family Sessions
We are excited to be running our popular RWI workshops again this year for our Reception and Year 1 parent/carers. There will be 3 sessions running after half term.
Please use the link below or QR code to sign up to the sessions you are able to attend – you are welcome to just attend one, two or all three of them! All the sessions will run from 9 – 10 am at school.
Session 1 – Friday 14th November – What is RWI, the resources, speed sounds and word time lesson
Session 2 – Friday 21st November - Set 2 and 3 sounds, the books, comprehension and writing
Session 3 – Friday 28th November - Phonics screening check and using RWI at home
Please use this link to book a workshop or the QR code to the left.
Please see our Christmas Menu above!
NEW CLUB ALERT!
We are excited to be running a NEW club from January that will be a performing arts class, combining music, dance and theatre!
Irene Moss will be holding a FREE TRIAL of the club on Monday 8th December to see if you would like to sign up. To book on the free trial please use the email in the photo.
Library help
We still need a little more help to finish sorting our books in the library. If you are available to help on Thursday 20th November or Friday 21st November please let the School Office know!
Heart of our Community - Your Children
At Pinner Wood, we know our pupils are incredibly talented, and we love celebrating their achievements in school. But we also want to hear about their magical moments beyond the classroom! Whether it's winning a special award, taking part in a major competition, or any other proud accomplishment, please share their news with us. We’d be delighted to feature it in future newsletters.
Well done to Ava (Year 3) our Freestyle dancer who came third in a competition this weekend!
Pinner Wood on the TV!
Partizan, one of the UK’s most respected production companies, known for their work across feature films, music videos, and high-profile advertising chose Pinner Wood School as the primary shoot location for Shelter’s 2025 Christmas campaign.
The production transformed the school for two days: one dedicated to location scouting and set dressing, another to a full day of filming. The art department draped the building in festive splendour with fairy lights, tinsel, and a touch of cinematic magic before the cameras rolled.
It was a huge operation. Our school was overtaken by crew, lighting rigs, extras, and a bus parked in the playground. Overseeing it all was director Michael Gracey, best known for The Greatest Showman, who brought his trademark precision and emotional sweep to the project.
Homelessness remains one of the UK’s most pressing crises, and Shelter’s 2025 Christmas campaign aims to confront it head-on, highlighting the harsh realities faced by families in temporary accommodation and the rising number of working homeless struggling through the coldest months.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE ADVERT!
Making Contact with Pinner Wood
Sometimes it is hard to know who to contact and what to expect. Mr Mainwaring has put this helpful chart together to help you...
School Notices/Expectations
'What to do guide' - A reminder and repeat of Term 1
Uniform
| School shoes must be worn on non-PE days – no trainers, please. PE kit should be worn on PE days with plain trainers. Pupils will also need a house-colour t-shirt and sweatshirt. |
Long Hair | Long hair must be tied back for school. Hair accessories should be in school colours: green, black, or white only. |
Jewellery | Jewellery is not part of school uniform. However, we understand some children may wear a small item of religious significance—please inform your class teacher if this applies.
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Lost Property | Lost property is located in the Year 5/6 playground in the two boxes outside Fir Class.
School Responsibility: |
KS2 Stationery
| Pupils in Years 3–6 are encouraged to bring their own stationery, which should include: pencils, pens, ruler, rubber, a blue pen, glue stick, whiteboard pen, highlighter and pencil sharpener Please ensure all items are named. Extra or unnecessary items should not be brought in, as these can be distracting in class. |
Daily Routines | Start of the Day
End of the Day
Walking Home
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Breaktime snacks. | Early Years and KS1 children are provided with a daily fruit or vegetable snack. KS2 children may bring a snack from home, but it must be fruit or vegetables only. |
Bikes and Scooters | We actively encourage pupils to walk, cycle, or scoot to school.
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Wonderful Walking Zone | We are working on walking around the building (Some children have been using the corridors as a racetrack when returning from lunch.) We are promoting ‘wonderful walking’ around the building. Please help by reminding children at home. See the poster we are using around school below. |
Smart Phones on Hold | We have stopped the use of smart phones and smart watches. Children in year 5 and 6 may bring a basic mobile phone (not a smart phone), which will be kept in a locked box in the classroom during the school day and returned at home time. If a smart phone is brought into school, it will be taken and returned directly to a parent. This initiative is part of a wider project with other schools, aiming to prolong childhood and reduce unnecessary pressures. Air tags are not permitted in school, due to safety concerns. (They can be picked up and tracked by others) |
Birthdays at Pinner Wood | We love celebrating birthdays with our “Birthday Bunch” day at the end of each term, when children with birthdays that term can come to school in non-uniform. Please note:
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Reporting Absence | If your child is absent, you must report it by 8:30am via:
Absences not reported by 9:00am will be marked as unauthorised, which could lead to a fine. At the end of each week, any unaccounted marks will also be recorded as unauthorised. |
Packed Lunches | If your child is bringing a packed lunch, please ensure it follows our Healthy Lunch expectations. 🚫 We are a nut-free school. |
Communication from the school | A newsletter is posted at the start of every half term on our website - https://www.pinnerwood.harrow.sch.uk/page/half-termly-newsletters/152049
Every Friday we post a weekly update. This includes a helpful list of things to remember. Please take a look: https://www.pinnerwood.harrow.sch.uk/page/friday-updates/153012
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Year group communication | Every Friday the year group will post a newsletter on Seesaw with everything you need to know for the week ahead. Please make sure you can access this. |
Home learning | Home learning is posted weekly on Seesaw (Monday–Monday). Reading books and records are sent home and should be returned to school daily. Please see an overview of our school Home Learning below. |
Betty Bee - Community News - Dates for your Diary
Year 5 – Thriftwood Information Sessions | Thursday 13th November at 2.30pm in the hall (for around 30 mins) |
Year 6 SATS and Isle of Wight Information Session | Thursday 27th November at 9 am in the hall (you are welcome to leave if your child is not attending the Isle of Wight, around 30 mins per meeting) |
Phonics Workshop | See more details below and sign up. Each workshop will be from 9 - 10 am at Pinner Wood Session 1 – Friday 14th November – What is RWI, the resources, speed sounds and word time lesson Session 2 – Friday 21st November - Set 2 and 3 sounds, the books, comprehension and writing Session 3 – Friday 28th November - Phonics screening check and using RWI at home |
Head Squad Message
We are very excited to share our first Head Squad podcast, sharing what our children have been up to this term in school! Have a listen and let us know what you think!
External Clubs and Courses
Dates
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